EPL 2020/21 - The Pandemic Season

It is all over. The pandemic season which is very strange. A season like no other. Soccer without fans. All over Europe's top league, there were surprises. Only Bayern Munich took the crown in the Bundesliga with plenty to spare. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski first brought to Dortmund by Jurgen Klopp and moved to Munich was top scorer at the ripe old age of 32 breaking Gerd Muller's impossible record with 41 goals where Muller's record of 40 goals stood for almost half a century. 

In France's Ligue 1, PSG's big money players missed out where Lille took the crown by one point. In Italy's Serie A, Inter Milan claimed the title by 12 points where Juventus perennial favourites Juventus even with Cristiano Ronaldo could only finished 4th behind 3rd placed Atlanta but at 36 years old he became the first Juventus player to score 100 goals in 131 games in less then 3 seasons (29 goals in 20/21)! At Spain, Diego Simone's (what a manager/coach) Athletico Madrid won the title after 7 years with former Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez their top scorer with 21 goals and he also scored the winning goal over Real Valladolid after Barcelona's Ronald Koeman said that he was surplus to requirement after taking over at Barcelona. Suarez is 34 years old. Lionel Messi at 33 got 21 goals for Barcelona in a poor season.

In the EPL, Manchester City won the title again with 12 points over 2nd placed Manchester United. They will be favourites when they meet Chelsea in the Champions League final. I have said they are favourites this season and they will be again next season despite the great goal scorer Sergio Aguero leaving and before that he added two goals for his final serg to make a record 184 goal haul, the highest of any player in a single club in EPL. Aguero is 32 years old. Why is City so good? Because City has the supreme Pep Guardiola, a very good team and players and they are not called Moneybags City for nothing. The 5-0 hammering of Everton in their last match of the season before the UCL final was their statement of intent. Imagine if they were to add Erling Braut Haaland or Harry Kane to their line up since money is no object plus a few more. Their very own Phil Foden has been a revelation and that we know long ago when he was the U-18 World Cup's best player and there is more to come from this 20 year old. He has 16 goals and 10 assists! Ruben Dias was named FWA Footballer of the Year. I thought Riyahd Mahrez was as good as he was when Leicester won the title. Another is Joao Cancelo. He cancels everything you try to put him in any box. Classified as a fullback or wingback, he actually plays everywhere. Even John Stones had a renaissance and back to his best. City will be top contender and favourites again but their F.A. Cup and UCL dreams crashed like a pack of cards. Pep and City have found a new nemesis - Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea who are now their boogie team as the latter conquered them twice 1-0 in both cup finals. Having reached the UCL final for the first time they have failed yet again in their most craved trophy.

Manchester United have done quite well and so too Solskjaer despite the initial brickbats thrown at him and I believe still being thrown. They have the basis of a strong side and a Europa final to win but on his supposed coronation day, he and his team fell short after a penalty shoot out. There is danger for him again since Antonio Conte is leaving after winning the title for Inter and Zinedine Zidane are available. Poor Solskjaer. One name was huge - Bruno Fernandes as he scored 28 goals in all competition and 18 in the league from midfield but of course it helps to be the penalty taker. What a season and what a fine player! Marcus Rashford is an exciting player with 21 goals all competition. 34 year old horse Edison Cavani oozing such class had 16 goals (10 in the league) while not playing in every match. A very bright future awaits Mason Greenwood who scored 12 times and he is only 19. Luke Shaw deserved a mention too as he finally proved his potential and I thought so too Harry Maguire who despite criticism from some quarters was huge for the Red Devils. The problem that he faced has been his huge transfer fee and his really big head, I mean physically that was why his nickname is slabhead. There have been rumours of United signing several top players including Harry Kane, Haaland or Jadon Sancho, etc. They will be bent on narrowing those 12 points with City. 

Liverpool's record breaking team of the last few years where they have won everything had a disastrous season where long term and serious injuries wreaked havoc such that they were producing some of their own worst records from the wrong end. This campaign was completely off the rails in a certain part of the season. So bad that Liverpool fans were inconsolable but they finished in a 10 match unbeaten run that has 8 victories thus will be in their 5th successive season of the Champions League. Klopp's and Liverpool's Geggen-pressing won them everything but they will now have to rethink and reset. Their DNA of playing a high defensive line is both boon and bane. Only Virgil Van Dijk could imperiously man a back line like that but even then there could be the occasional slip. While they can continue that way, it can still serve them well if at times they could play a more traditional back line. Gini Wijnaldum was their most technical player and scored two important goals when Liverpool shocked Barcelona in the UCL semi. He has been the architect in the Reds' engine room. At 30, he wanted a longer term contract to secure his future when Liverpool could only offer a shorter one. The Reds have a solid midfield but they do need a midfielder who would often provide assists and a goal-scoring one just like what CIty have in Kevin De Bruyne, United have in Bruno Fernandes and Aston Villa have in Jack Grealish. This is handy when the front line misfires. Finally, Liverpool should add a pure striker as Firmino though a vital cog in their engine do no score a lot (only once with 28 goals). Both Mane and Salah are wingers though both could still score a lot especially Salah. A pure striker in the likes of Harry Kane, Edison Cavani, Haaland, Mbappe or Robert Lewandowski would give them a different option, threat and never short of goals. There must be elements of surprise since all teams learned better how to cope with them. In the past, teams know how they play but yet could not cope because Liverpool were at the peak of their powers. Some of their top players are coming to the wrong end of their 20s and some succession planning is needed though age is never a consideration when one is too good. It was probably pure grit that saw them fighting back to 3rd.

Chelsea was more exciting under Lampard but Tuchel has brought them to another level but their poor form towards the tail end of the season was worrying and they have to face a marauding City in the UCL final this Sunday. In fact, they were very fortunate to qualify for next seasons' UCL despite a defeat to Villa. It was their bitter London rivals Spurs that helped them when Spurs defeated Leicester. Chelsea have been rumoured to be buying some top names for next season. They will be better since Tuchel has just taken over and they will be more settled and of course we must expect them to splash the cash supplied by Roman Abramovich. Having beaten City twice to win the F.A. Cup and then the Champions League in such a short time are stuffs that dreams are made of. Antonito Rudiger returned in time. N'Golo Kante who played a big part for Leicester title previously has been central to Chelsea. Ben Chilwell looks chill and have been playing very well. Kai Havertz has finally fulfilled his potential and price tag. Young Mason Mount is not Lampard's pet. He is the real deal playing at the highest level and excelling. He is going to be a key player for Gareth Southgate and England. Chelsea are going to be very strong next season in all competition. Abramovic is smiling again.

Leicester's players and style of play has all the trademarks of Brendan Rodgers since he came to Liverpool previously. It was indeed very unfortunate that they lost their last match to Spurs 2-4 after twice taking the lead with 2 goals from another old man Jamie Vardy at 34. Vardy has been an incredible player for both his club and country. Missing the UCL by a point was the smallest of margins. Maybe the injury to Harvey Barnes affected them. I like them to be challenging again. With Barnes, Maddison and Ricardo returning from injuries, the youthful James Justin and Luke Thomas, the experience of Evans, Ayoze Perez, Castagne, the qualities of Vardy, Yuri Tielemans and Ndidi they can still be up there. Brendan Rodgers and Leicester deserve the F.A. Cup and maybe more. Yuri Tielemans is the complete midfielder whose defensive ability has improved and is full of assists and goals. 

West Ham have a great season even if they ended up 6th. I watched them all season together with Leicester and Leeds and just like them the Hammers were not only consistently good, they played with bravado. David Moyes has built something that can be even better. Even Craig Dawson plucked from Watford is worth mentioning. Jesse Lingard was fun to watch and he was so good that hopefully he could join West Ham permanently. Many of the players were so good - Coufal, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Fornals, Bowen, Antonio. Hope that they can maintain it and hopefully they can keep Declan Rice who has often attracted interest from the big boys. Will Rice stay or leave? 34 year old Captain Mark Noble will possibly retie after another season. The loyal servant is Mr. West Ham who joined the Hammers as a 17 year old and is probably one of the better players never to play for England at the senior level after having featured in all levels as a youth international. With Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek the Hammers have a winning combo. I have always like the way West Ham play since the Ron Greenwood days. They are to me the Farrer Park of Singapore. David Moyes should be the manager of the year and West Ham team of the year. They should keep this team intact and add a prolific striker. 

Tottenham's appointment of Jose Mourinho was wrong from the start. Mourinho is a very successful manager but his forte is in joining the big and already successful clubs and then he would have a big purse to add a few expensive toys to the collection and his DNA clash with Spurs' philosophy. David Levy must have Mourinho in mind because he thought that Spurs will be in the Super League which never took off. He should have simply kept Mauricio Pochettino whose style of play made Spurs so exciting to watch and he took them all the way to the UCL final. Spurs will now have a very important appointment to make which is to find a most suitable manager. In this team, there are 3 fabulous players what even the great Sir Alex Ferguson wished he could have managed - Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli. Kane could have played his last season for his boyhood club and what a player has become. Last World Cup's top scorer he has added a new dimension to his game with a range of passing that is so impressive. He ended the season as undisputed top scorer with 23 league goals and not only that, he also was the top provide with 14 assists! This alone should make him Player of the Year! A lot may happen or not at all in the summer but they should want to keep Gareth Bale.

Arsenal have been mediocre at the tail end of Arsene Wenger's career. Mikel Arteta gave some initial hope of a revival after Unai Emery but ending the season in 8th place and having lost in the Europa semi left a bad taste to their season. I suppose there will be a major overhaul at the Emirates for next season. Will Arteta be replaced? If so, who would be coming? Arsenal's was many fans' second favourite team under the legendary Arsene Wenger especially that "Invincibles" team. 

Leeds United have done very well in their first season exploits in the Premier League to be 9th. They should not end up next season like Sheffield United did as they have a fine team with some excellent players which Leeds must keep. Marcelo Bielsa's philosophy is an exciting but stubborn one. With attacking and open play Leeds will always score but are left susceptible at the other end meaning that while they could beat the best and biggest teams they could also easily lose to weaker ones. If he could find a stronger balance, Leeds would be an even greater force to reckon with. They have wonderful players all round - Stuart Dallas, Kavin Phillips who knits everything together, Raphinha, Jack Harrison (hope he does not return to City), Rodrigo, Patrick Bamford with his goals. Remembering the days of thunder under Don Revie. How will "Don" Bielsa deal it next season?

Everton - Carlo Ancelotti is highly priced and coach with pedigree and Everton have added quality players to the team. Their early season charge was so promising that many thought they would make the top four but ending up in 10th was a huge disappointment for sure. With such a manger, you do not need to change much and they certainly could do more. In 24 year striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, they have a very highly rated player and goal scorer there. It will be interesting how they will evolve from here. Now that the latest news has it that Ancelotti will return to his old club Real Madrid since Zidane has left. Everton will have to start and reset again.

They say the only constant in life is change and changes are inevitable for various reasons. They just have to be managed. The hellos and goodbyes of life are often bittersweet. "The seasons are passing one by one" as Paul Anka sang. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtxanSrNdN8 (Paul Anka)

We just watch time passing by everyday and your WFH blues blur the time of day, makes you forget the difference between weekends and weekdays or leisure and holidays as tears go by...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbxQFr6TTms (Mick Jagger)

Just look around us. Lewandowski (32), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (39), Luis Suarez (34), Sergio Aguero (32), Edison Cavani (34), Jamie Vardy (34), Cristiano Ronaldo (36) and Lionel Messi at 33. Many more have gone unnoticed. The older pros can say to the younger ones that time goes so quickly. When you are young, you do not really think much about it. By the time you are 28, you would say OMG! I did not even know that time flew past. Your first mistake is to think "ah, they are old men."

So to all the Young Once (pun intended), I give you a song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxNohANhJiA (Cliff Richard)

Good luck to all as the human race battles the pandemic. The world is under attack from this alien species. Take care and fare thee well. Bruce Lee once said: "Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family".

Now for the Euro 2020.